


Safe

by Eeriecloud



Category: Hustle Cat
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Like i straight up wrote this and now its here so i'm sorry for tyos, Platonic Relationships, Pre-Avery, This was the first week that Hayes started working, hustle cat - Freeform, mlm author, not edited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-20 14:50:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9496904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eeriecloud/pseuds/Eeriecloud
Summary: Hayes has only been working at the cafe for less of the week, but no one told him what would happen. Now he seeks comfort at the cafe and maybe some information.





	

It was four in the morning when Hayes rushed into the back of the cafe, holding the front of his hoodie like a makeshift mask. It was still intensely dark, only the lights of distant lamps and the cafe itself illuminated the morning. He didn’t even have time to register any of his surroundings or the drunken passersby with their party’s end, his cheek was on fire and the only place he could think he could find maybe some relief. It was sometime when he got on cafe ground that the pain stopped, but the panic in his chest still played strongly. Very quickly, he jingled the keys and opened the door. Hayes slammed the door so loudly that the noise echoed throughout the cafe, probably the loudest noise he ever created in recent years. 

The lights in the kitchen were on, but there was no activity in the kitchen. No Mason, no prep work, not even the coffee maker was on. He was alone in the cafe, left to his own devices to deal with his intimate panic attack. His hand was shaking so much it was hard to keep the hoodie up to cover his face, he slumped down the door till he sat on the cold floor. He tried to level his breathing, but no matter how much he tried he always fell out of sync. Even rocking himself seemed to be useless as the white noise ringed louder and louder in his ears. Tears welled up in his eyes, he lifted his hoodie and covered the full of his face till all he saw was black. This was fine! It was fine, he’s able to handle this. Hayes has an hour before Mason comes in, he’ll be able to calm himself down by then and with her there he can ask-

“Hello?” At first, Hayes couldn’t recognize the voice, just the creaky door and stairs from the basement. He followed the noise of the basement door closing, giving him some anchor. Footsteps walked lightly on ceramic, then the low voice spoke again, “Hayes?”

Now he could recognize it, it was Landry. 

Hayes didn’t reply, instead, he made himself tinier against the door. Hoping that Landry could have just looked at him and go back to whatever he was doing down in the basement, but the other’s footsteps came closer and closer. He wished he was invisible, he wished that his first instinct was to stay home. He didn’t want to embarrass himself. The footsteps stopped, but he heard Landry sit beside him. Hayes wants nothing more than to curl up tinier.

“Hayes?” Landry’s voice was above a whisper, with no rough edges, “Are you hurt? What happened?” 

Hayes gave a shudder, he tried to lie and say that he was tired but all that came out stuttered words of nonsense. Landry gave soothing shoosh noises. 

“It’s okay, take your time.” Hayes could almost hear the soft smile, even if he’s covered in layers.

Minutes passed with both of them in silence, it was nice to have at least another person to anchor on. Every time Hayes almost slips out of reality, he would hear Landry give a hefty breath and this return him in the cafe. Slowly, Hayes showed his face. The lights were bright as his eyes adjust, then he saw the soft expression of Landry.

“Hey, you okay?” Landry smiled warmly, his eyebrows were knitted. 

“Y-you…” Hayes’s voice was hoarse like it was the first time he spoke all day, “you d-don’t see anything w-wrong?”

Landry’s eyes flew open, “With what?”’

“M-my face.”

“No? Wait, did somebody hurt you!? Do I need to get the first aid kit?” 

Hayes shook his head, he took a deep breath. Maybe Landry would know what he’s growing through, if not Landry never seemed threatening. Even with the bombardments of thoughts of how Landry would laugh at him, call him strange, or at the worst get angry, he took the chance.

“There was a w-w-w-,” Hayes took a gulp, Landry was about to place his hand on his shoulder but decided not to and put his hand back on the floor, “a whisker.”

“...a whisker?”

Hayes nodded. 

“Was it growing?” 

Hayes hesitated, but he nodded again. 

“Graves should have told you…”

A few more minutes passed with the two of them on the floor. Hayes ended up leaning against Landry, it was out of his character but he was exhausted and being next to Landry made him feel something that he hadn’t felt in awhile. Something that he couldn’t put a name on. 

“Can I rub your arm?” The question was weirdly asked, but Hayes knew what he meant. He nodded. Landry put an arm around him and rubbed his arm softly. Hayes didn’t flinch. 

Oh, that’s what he felt. 

He felt safe.

**Author's Note:**

> As someone who only lets certain people touch him, Hayes's and Landry's relationship means so much to me.


End file.
